SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 10 (Xinhua) -- An Indian army soldier was killed Wednesday fighting separatist militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The gunfight broke out early Wednesday in forest of Lolab close to line of control (LoC) in frontier Kupwara district, around 110 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir.

"Early today militants fired at a contingent of Indian army wounding a trooper critically," said an army official. "He was immediately removed to hospital but succumbed there."

The gunfight was triggered after troops on a specific intelligence inputs launched a search operation to track down militants present in the area.

Indian army spokesman Col. Naresh Vij said search operation was ongoing in the area.

On Tuesday Indian army said it foiled a major infiltration in Keran sector of Kupwara and killed five militants.

Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region, is divided between India and Pakistan by a de facto border called LoC. Both India and Pakistan claimed the region in full. Since their independence from British colonial rule, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.